4-year-old, 91-year-old dead in two separate crashes on I-75 in Detroit

DETROIT (WXYZ) — A 4-year-old boy and a 91-year-old man died after two separate crashes on I-75 in Detroit Monday afternoon.

The first incident occurred on I-75 near Piquette Avenue around 1:10 p.m. According to Michigan State Police, authorities were alerted to a three-car accident involving a child.

When officers arrived, they found an unresponsive 4-year-old boy on the ground. They performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the child was taken to the hospital. When they arrived, he was pronounced dead, state police said.

Investigators suspect that the mother, a 30-year-old at-fault driver in the accident, was under the influence of alcohol. MSP also said the child was not properly restrained before the accident.

At approximately 1:25 p.m., MSP responded to another crash on I-75 near Canfield Avenue. According to state police, there was a traffic backup in the area following an earlier accident.

Troopers said a 72-year-old River Rouge woman struck a vehicle from behind that was stopped in traffic. After crashing the vehicle, the woman crashed into a semi-truck, which slowly came to a stop.

A 91-year-old River Rouge man was in the car with her and was unconscious at the scene. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The 72-year-old woman was taken to hospital after she reported experiencing chest pains.

Both accidents are under investigation and reports will be sent to the district attorney’s office. I-75 was closed near both accidents but has reopened.